Classic Car Guru's

[G-ZUS]

Any classic car guru's on here? Got offered a '74 Nova SS with a 350 v8 and 4 speed manual. Rusty quarters etc. Has been parked for the better part of 2 decades. Are these things worth anything? Dont want to lowball them but don't want to overpay at the same time.

[firebane]

66s and such are far more sought after than the 74s. To me honestly while a 74 is a nice car it isn't a car I'd pay big money for especially if it has rust on it.

Also check and see if its a numbers matching car as that will make it worth a bit more as well.

[Tik-Tok]

If it's running, I'd pay up to $3g. They aren't worth any monetary value, but can still be a fun car. You can buy a "needs nothing" one for $15g, and properly getting rid of rust will cost you WAY more than that.

[brucebanner]

Anything above '72 wouldn't be worth big money unless the right person came along looking for it and they are generally far and few between.

[Graham_A_M]

^there are some muscle cars that lasted into 1973 before they were butchered. 74's, well those are almost unicorns lol.

what's your goal with this car in the end anyway?

[bourge73]

How much you need out of it. I'd like it

[G-ZUS]

Thanks for thr replies

Originally posted by Graham_A_M
what's your goal with this car in the end anyway?

That's a good question, I am still asking myself that. Probably won't end up restoring it fully

[Graham_A_M]

^ I'd do a restomod if I were you. Muscle cars are a true disappointment in their own right. I guess it shouldnt be surprising, the 1965 model years are a half century old by now. The Nova is 41, technology has evolved so much, the handling & brakes of these old relics is laughable today almost. Jesus I remember my old '72 Chevelle, fucking god that was the worst driving car I've ever owned by a long shot

There are a shit ton of parts available online to really boost the performance of these. Besides, a completely restored numbers matching car of yours really wouldn't fetch any more money then would a decent performance build. May as well build it to have fun and enjoy.

Just Google the hell out of everything. There are aftermarket parts for some of my old cars and trucks (one is over 75 years old) that sure blew my mind.

[carson blocks]

It really depends how bad the rust is, and how much there is that you can't see (ie. floors, structure). '74 isn't a particularly desirable year, but the 350/4 speed definitely helps. '74s are in low enough demand I wouldn't stress about numbers matching or any of that. At least it's not a '75+ which I would only buy by the pound unless it was close to mint.

I recommend researching what it would cost to buy a 'good' one, and make sure you'll be in to this for far less than just buying a finished one as I've seen many guys dump $30k in to a $5k car, where they could have just bought a good one for $15k.

[firebane]

Originally posted by carson blocks
It really depends how bad the rust is, and how much there is that you can't see (ie. floors, structure). '74 isn't a particularly desirable year, but the 350/4 speed definitely helps. '74s are in low enough demand I wouldn't stress about numbers matching or any of that. At least it's not a '75+ which I would only buy by the pound unless it was close to mint.

I recommend researching what it would cost to buy a 'good' one, and make sure you'll be in to this for far less than just buying a finished one as I've seen many guys dump $30k in to a $5k car, where they could have just bought a good one for $15k.

Yup I'd also do a compression test at the minimum to check the health of the current motor. Leak down would be better but at least you'd have peace of mind knowing the engine could be bad or good.